Choosing a preschool can be a difficult choice for families. In the state of Wisconsin the term “preschool” can mean many different things. Preschools do not fall under the Department of Public Instruction the way public elementary schools do so you will see many different environments as you tour schools. Most preschools, unless run by a school (public or parochial), must be licensed through the Department of Children and Families (DCF). DCF ensures that centers are meeting basic licensing laws passed by the Wisconsin State Legislature. Preschools run by schools fall under the jurisdiction of their school board who should be ensuring that their schools meet the same basic requirements.
The National Institute Of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has studied the issue of early child care for decades. It has consistently been found that the quality of child care centers (including preschool) is highly correlated to the outcomes of the child later. It is prudent to find a high-quality preschool for your child. The NICHD has found that fewer than 10% of the facilities it surveyed fall in the “very high quality” category. That means most preschools are mediocre and some are even low in quality.
Parents have the important job of spotting the right one among many options.
Look for a DCF Licensed Center
The benefit of choosing a DCF licensed preschool is that an outside source (DCF) comes in regularly to ensure the licensing standards are being met and their findings are publicly available to families. Non-licensed schools do not have licensing visits and do not have publicly available regarding how their centers are meeting these rules.
You can find Fort Atkinson Preschool and Childcare licensing survey reports here.
Look for an Accredited Center and/or Five Star Center
YoungStar is Wisconsin’s child care quality rating and improvement system. YoungStar gives parents tools and information to raise happy, healthy kids. YoungStar helps preschools and child care providers give children safe, nurturing places to grow. YoungStar does this:
- By objectively measuring child care quality from one to five stars for thousands of child care providers.
- By giving parents an easy way to find programs that match their family’s lifestyle, budget, and disability.
- By supporting providers with tools and training to deliver high quality care.
- By setting a consistent standard for child care quality.
You can find out more about YoungStar and see how programs rate here.
The Association For Early Learning Leaders’ National Accreditation Commission (NAC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAYEC) are two national organizations which accredit preschools and provide much higher standards for their providers than state licensing requirements. A center that is accredited by either of these bodies will typically provide a higher quality of care and education than a center who is not accredited.
Fort Atkinson Preschool and Childcare Center is a five star, DCF licensed, NAC accredited center.
Does the Center have a highly educated staff?
To be a childcare teacher in the state of Wisconsin the minimum requirements are two correspondence courses post high school as well as supervised hours as an assistant teacher. Studies find that higher teacher education predicts higher quality care. Look for teachers who have formal post-high school training, such as a 4-year college degree in child development, early childhood education, or a related field that addresses developmental needs of preschool children. (Early Child Care and Children’s Development Prior to School Entry: Results from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care. American Educational Research Journal. March 2002:133-164. doi:10.3102/00028312039001133)
All of our lead teachers at Fort Atkinson Preschool and Childcare have a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree.
What curriculum does the center use?
High quality centers will have an established and practiced curriculum- some examples are play-based, Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, faith based, parent cooperatives and others. This curriculum will be research-based, staff will be trained in the curriculum and lesson plans will be created based upon the curriculum. Ask to see the lesson plans for the classroom your child will be a part of. Lesson plans should include both group and individual goals for children and cover all areas of learning including general cognition, gross and fine motor, sensory, language and literacy, art, science, math, social/emotional learning and more.
Fort Atkinson Preschool and Childcare uses Creative Curriculum which builds children’s confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills through hands-on, project-based investigations. Creative Curriculum is a play based philosophy. Learn more about it here.
Some other questions to ask:
- Does the center have policies and procedures for staff and families? Can you see them?
- What hours is the center open? What days does the center close and is payment requirement?
- What does the daily rate include-meals, snacks, a specific number of hours, charges for before/after care?
- What ages does the school accept? Will children of different ages be comingled, if so when and where?
- What are the financial policies? Do you enroll for a whole year or can you give notice and leave without financial loss?
- Does the center offer meals or snacks?
- How often will your child be moved into a new classroom and for what reasons?
- What is the staff turnover rate?
- What is the center’s philosophy?
- How long has the center been open?
- Will the center take students with disabilities? Can a student with special needs receive services while at the center (OT, PT, speech, early childhood, Birth to 3)?
- Does the center work with local agencies and make referrals as needed to Birth to 3 and Early Childhood Programs?
- Does the center contract with the local school district to provide 4K or other services?
- Does the center accept Wisconsin SHARES payments from low income families?
- Does the center value outside/gross motor time? Is there a gym or other large motor space for days when it is too hot or too cold to go outside?
- Does the center offer family events after hours?
- What type of behavior management does the center use?
- How much continuing education is required of staff each year?
- How much free play do children experience versus teacher-led activities?
- Can you drop in and visit your child without notice?
- What type of security does the center have in place?
- What is the typical schedule for your child’s class to be? Ask to see a copy of the daily schedule.
- How does the center and classroom communicate with parents? Are you able to receive daily communications, pictures, etc.?
- How many teachers are assigned to your child’s classroom? Does the center practice “primary caregiving” where the same 1-2 teachers are in the room daily?
- How often are classrooms combined or teachers changed during the day?
- What do past families say about their experiences at the school?
- Is the center more “daycare” or “preschool/school” focused?
- Does the child complete written assessments for each child?
- Does each child have individualized, measurable, written goals?
- How will you know what your child is learning and being taught?
- Are there formal parent teacher conferences?
- How does the school help your child transition into kindergarten?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Visit and compare before making a choice. The assumption that all preschools are similar is false.